Saturday, March 2, 2019

Wuxia fans will now have a new martial arts action drama to indulge in. On April 6, CINEMAX will premiere “Warrior”, their first tentpole 10-episode series which is based on the writings of the one and only martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Back in the 1970's, Bruce Lee tried to get his 8-page pitch called “The Warrior” to be produced, but at that time, the Hollywood studios were not confident that audiences would accept an Asian lead actor as the hero. Things have changed a lot in recent years, with more Asian actors leading Hollywood movies and TV shows, and gaining prominence for their work. With such a pedigree behind it, “Warrior” should prove to be a worthy a fix for those who love to watch martial arts shows.

How did the back story of how Bruce Lee's script finally came to fruition? This amazing journey from idea to TV series is now chronicled in Cinemax's 8-part docu-series, “Becoming Warrior”, and all 8 episodes are now currently available on Cinemax's Youtube Channel!

Sunday, November 4, 2018

As a child from a primarily English-speaking home, Red Dot Diva has always fantasized of being able to watch South-East Asian tales on TV or in the movies which were spoken in English. Local TV dramas and sitcoms in the 1990's helped to bring Red Dot Island stories to the forefront, but international exposure was very limited.

It has been a long time coming, but in recent years, HBO Asia has been passionate about showcasing stories from this region to the world, and Red Dot Diva is always delighted to see and support the shows that they invest in.

Tonight, 4 November (Sunday), "Grisse", another new English language original series by the cable channel will be premiering at 9 PM. Set in 1800’s Indonesia, during the time when the Dutch East Indies were busy colonizing this region, the period drama has a unique look - a South-Asian story with an Old Western aesthetic, complete with all that dirt, dust, feisty heroines, and gun battles. The series is created by Mike Wiluan, and has eight 1-hour long episodes.

Step into the town of Grisse, and you will be greeted by people from different creeds and agendas. The Indonesian rebels have taken a stand in the gritty town, leading the way to eradicate colonialism and tyranny. Occasionally fighting alongside them are the factions consisting of the Chinese, and the "Half-breeds".

Saturday, October 6, 2018

October is the best season for a nice, spine-chilling scarefest, and HBO Asia will be rewarding horror fans with a 6-episode anthology called "Folklore".

Created by award-winning local director Eric Khoo, "Folklore" is a HBO Asia Original series that brings a modern or updated twist to the classic ghoulies and myths that Asians will be familiar with. The team of directors, specially requested by Eric Khoo to be part of the project, spin creepy tales that possess their own home countries' brand of horror.

Each story will be told in the local language that the episode is based on, and will also provide insights of the social issues that exist in that country.

Six episodes will air each Sunday exclusively on HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601), beginning from 7 October, 10 PM.They will also be available onHBO Go and HBO On Demand (StarHub TV Ch 602).

Non-subscribers of HBO will be able to watch the first episode "Folklore: A Mother's Love"via streaming on HBO GO for free, from 10 PM on October 7.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Warner TV Asia, home of DC Comics' superhero shows like "Arrow", "The Flash", "Supergirl" and "DC Legends of Tomorrow", has a list of other TV series that appeal to geeky folks. Non-Arrowverse shows like "Krypton" and "Gotham" help to expand the DC Universe, and "iZombie" (loosely based on the comic book series of the same name) cater to those who like zombies but prefer something far less intense than AMC's "The Walking Dead".

Three other shows aired by Warner TV are also set to returning on screen this week. They are "The Big Bang Theory", its prequel series "Young Sheldon", and cop show "Lethal Weapon".

THE BIG BANG THEORY

Special Premiere: 25 September 2018, Tuesday, 8:10 PMEpisodes: every Friday from September 28, 8:10 PM

This will be the 12th and last season of the long running comedy series. It is in fact the longest-running multi-camera comedy series in TV history. The sitcom has told stories about eccentric geek Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his friends, like Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) who finally gotten married. Sheldon himself tied the knot with neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) in the finale of Season 11, with surprise guest Mark Hamill officiating the wedding! It will be business as usual in this final season, with Sheldon playing fantasy role-playing games with friends that include fellow scientists Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar), Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) and Howard’s wife, Bernadette (Melissa Rauch).

Friday, February 16, 2018

The violent, dystopian world of make-believe in HBO's award-winning series "Westworld" was one of the most unforgettable, provocative shows in 2017.

The scifi show about the complex interactions between humans and androids in a futuristic theme park, had Red Dot Diva at the edge of her seat as plot twists and surprises were slowly revealed layer after layer in each episode.

Credit had to go to the stellar cast of actors consisting of Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie
Newton, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Clifton Collins Jr,
and many more. Their performances, especially the actors who played the hosts,were nuanced and haunting.

Season 1 of HBO's original series "Westworld" wrapped up with a satisfying yet tantalizing finale that offered up a few twists (one in particular) that most fans did not expect. After those last shocking few seconds, Red Dot Diva has so many more questions about Ford, the future of Delos Incorporated now that the hosts are awake, and the repercussions of Dolores' and Maeve's actions.

Some reprieve from all that unresolved suspense came in the form of a Season 2 sneak peek released at SDCC 2016. The teaser showed a series of bloody massacres happening in the park and in Delos, with a vengeful Dolores going on a rampage.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Lots of things happened in the Season 7 finale of HBO's award-winning series "Game of Thrones".

What is the repercussion of the liaison between Daenrys and Jon Snow? Is Tormund still alive? Will there be a brother vs brother, Drogon vs Viserion showdown? Who will sit on the Iron Throne when the series ends?

Unfortunately, it will be more than a year before fans will get to know the answers. The final and 8th season of "Game of Thrones" will air only in 2019. The actual premiere date has not been announced yet, but Season 8, which consists of 6 episodes, will air on HBO Asia the same time as the U.S. telecast.

The wait seems interminable, so what can fans do in the meantime until Season 8 premieres?

Saturday, July 15, 2017

There may not be any "Game of Thrones" cast or crew members helping out with the Season 7 promotion in Red Dot Island this year, but there are still some pop-up activities that fans could take part in.

These events will only run from 15 to 16 July (Sat and Sun), and lead up to HBO Asia's Season 7 premiere which will air on 17 July morning, the same time as the U.S. telecast.

Red Dot Diva and Lannister Lion teamed up to check out two different parts of "Westeros" - Cathay Cineleisure and Vivocity.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Already parading your House banneraround your housing estate? Have an army of loyal warriors on stand by? What about your own specially designed crown?

Check on all three?

Then, you are SET to sit on the life-sized Iron Throne, which will be displayed at Orchard Cineleisure on July 16, Sunday! Capture a photo of your regal moment together with some "Game of Thrones" characters, for Winter is Here!

On the day before (15 July, Saturday), a special life-sized ice carving of the Iron Throne will be exhibited at the same venue. You cannot sit on this one of course, but you can still try to win limited edition prizes on site! These premiums have been frozen in blocks of ice, and you can try to chip away to get to them.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

While gazillion "Game of Thrones" fans have been waiting impatiently for Season 7 to arrive, a new trailer was released by HBO. The cable channel had sneakily usurped the summer solstice with the battle cry that #WinterIsHere.

Any hardcore "Game of Thrones" fan must have watched the new trailer multiple times by now, trying to piece together the sneak peeks of various characters in different locations. There are a host of geek websites and podcasts that have broken down each teaser scene in detail, so Red Dot Diva is not going to rehash that.

All she is going to say is, not only #WinterIsHere, #WarIsComing also. Massive, fiery, bloody wars that seem to be the focus of the season, as the various houses and their alliances begin to converge.

However, to promote upcoming Season 7 of "Game of Thrones", fans are invited to view their beloved TV show in a much smaller scale. An epicly miniscule scale, to be exact.

Together with art studio and curatorial space K+, HBO Asia commissioned microsculptor Salavat Fidai to carve 16 pieces of various images from the show, all on the tips of fragile graphite lead pencils.

Saturday, March 11, 2017

After that shocking "Game of Thrones" S6 season finale where a whole bunch of people went Kaboom!, the cruel and scheming Cersei ended up being crowned as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. From then on, things are just going to get more intense.

The convergence of the different houses in Season 7 will unfold in just seven episodes as the different players focus on King's Landing. This is ominously depicted in the first official teaser made entirely of sigils belonging to the main Houses at play - the Lannisters, the Targaryens, the Starks, the Baratheons and the Tyrells, plus one more powerful game changer - the White Walkers.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

It has been a difficult holiday season for Star Wars fans with the passing away of Carrie Fisher on 27 December 2016. She was well-loved and admired for her roles as Princess/ General Leia in the Star Wars movies, and her death was unexpected.

Worse still, a day later, her 84-year-old mother and Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds, passed away of a suspected stroke. The two women live next door to each other and were very close.

According to Carrie Fisher's brother Todd Fisher, his mother had said that "she really wanted to be with Carrie" just before she died. Debbie Reynolds is best remembered singing and dancing beside A-listers Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor in the movie musical "Singing in the Rain".

Monday, March 21, 2016

Red Dot Diva knows many local "Game of Thrones" fans have been eagerly waiting for this piece of exciting news!

She finally has information on when they can get to meet Isaac Hempstead Wright, the young actor who portrays Bran Stark in the award-winning HBO series!

Most fans would have already known by now that ION Orchard's Basement 4 will be transformed into Westeros on 2 - 7 April, with a VR interactive experience, displays of props, conceptual art as well as a replica of the Iron Throne. If you missed the news on what are the activities happening at the Worlds of Westeros, click here for the details.

The only time select fans and subscribers can get to meet and take a photo with Isaac Hempstead Wright, is on Saturday, 2 April, 3 - 5 PM.

Make sure you follow HBO Asia's Facebook page for updates or join in the Starhub contest where you can stand to win a chance to meet Isaac. Talk about the upcoming event with fellow "Game of Thrones" fans by using hashtags, #GOTAsiaWOW and #BranStarkInSG.

This is the first time Isaac is visiting Asia to meet his fans, so do make him feel welcome!UPDATED:
Here's how to be one of the 20 lucky fans to get an exclusive photo opportunity with Isaac Hempstead Wright!

Hurry and go join the contest at HBO Asia's Facebook page and answer the question by typing into the comments section there. Do note the winner has to be at least 18 years of age.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

There was much celebration (fortunately, without any poisoned wine.... yet) when Red Dot Diva found out her colleague Celine is as crazy over the HBO TV series "Game of Thrones" as she is.

When Red Dot Diva conveyed to her the breaking news that young Bran Stark aka Isaac Hamsptead Wright will be visiting the Red Dot Island for the series' Season 6 promotion, Celine was so excited, she sputtered out this inspired piece of haiku:

Winter is coming
April 2nd, Bran Stark comes
Jon Snow is still dead

*Suddenly having visions of Jon Snow dying in pools of his own blood* Nooooooooooooo!!!

But also, Yeahhhhhhh!! Bran Stark is coming (oops, that sounded lewd) will be here soon!

Making a guest appearance in Asia for the first time, 17-year-old Isaac Hampstead Wright will be meeting fans on April 2nd at the Game of Thrones Experience: "Worlds of Westeros" (#GOTAsiaWOW) at ION Orchard, Basement 4. This special interactive area is set up by HBO Asia to pump up the anticipation for Season 6 of the award-winning fantasy drama series based on the books written by George R.R. Martin. The new season will premiere internationally on April 24th, 2016.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Are you one of those rooting for Leonardo diCaprio to finally get his Oscar this year? Or do you usually favour the dark horse of the list, like Bryan Cranston for his lead role in the autobiographical movie "Trumbo"?

Perhaps you aren't so bothered so much about the winners and losers but love to go googly-eyed on the fashion choices made by the celebrities as they walk down that long red carpet.

Celebrities, their guests and entourage are set to descend on Hollywood's glitziest awards event of the year - the 88th Academy Awards (or better known as the Oscars Awards) - tomorrow evening at 28 February U.S.A. time. Comedian Chris Rock is the host for the ceremonies. With the controversy about the lack of diversity plaguing this year's Oscars, Red Dot Diva is most curious to see how many more folks Chris Rock will insult while he's on stage.

If you have already taken leave from work and planned for a Monday morning Oscars watching party, HBO Asia will be bringing to you the award show LIVE from the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

When it comes to Tom Hiddleston, Red Dot Diva cannot get enough of his undeniable charisma and screen presence. There is still no release date in Red Dot Island for his next movie "High Rise", so Red Dot Diva is delighted that she is able to swoon over Hiddles tomorrow night instead.

"The Night Manager" TV series is based on the John le Carré spy novel of the same name. A hotel manager goes undercover for an intelligence agency in a bid to take down an international criminal and arms dealer. While doing so, he becomes untangled in a dangerous game of secrets that also involve corrupt officials from both the CIA and MI-6. Unlike the book where the story unfolds in the post-Cold War era, the show is set in modern times, with most of the action taking place in the exotic locale of Cairo, Egypt.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Their latest Asian-based production, "Halfworlds" is set for a premiere date on 29 November 2015.

"Halfworlds" is HBO Asia's fourth production and Red Dot Diva really appreciates their constant effort to create as well as develop stories that are recognizably Asian but are also set to appeal to a wider audience. For those who have not caught up with HBO Asia's recent works, their first original title was "Dead Mine" in 2012, followed by their first prime-time series "Serangoon Road" and a four-part horror mini series "Grace".

An eight-episode supernatural thriller set in the dark and mysterious alleys of Jakarta, "Halfworlds" is about the Demits - a host of demons huddled in a covert society, who have lived among humans for centuries. When Sarah, a street artist uncovers the secret and tips the balance, a chain of events sets off, leading to a clash between the two sides.

Sunday, October 11, 2015

She was brought up on a constant fodder of martial arts movies. Ever since she was a kid, she has been relishing those action movies churned out by Shaw Brothers Studio, with actors Ti Lung, David Chiang, Wang Yu and Brigitte Lin gracing the big screen with their moves. In later years, Red Dot Diva continued to get kicks out of watching Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Donnie Yen, and Jet Li movies. Thanks to her Dad and an uncle who loved kung fu movies. She even has a cousin named after famous wuxia actress Chen Pei-Pei!

Which brings about how excited Red Dot Diva about AMC's new drama series "Into The Badlands", created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar ("Smallville"). The 6-episode show is set in a dystopian world, 500 years from now, where guns have been outlawed. This gives a great excuse for AMC to bring back martial arts to our TV screens.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Been dreamin' about zombies invading your own safe haven ever since the last episode of Season 5 of "The Walking Dead"? Or wonder how the reunion would be for bromance-buddies Rick Grimes and Morgan Jones?

Well, it is about 3 months away from now, but Fox International Channels has already set the Season 6 international premiere date!

The same day and date release of the extended 90-minute season opener will be available in this region on Fox cable channel (Singtel TV Ch. 330; StarHub TV Ch. 505, Monday, October 12th.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Last year, Red Dot Diva had the rare opportunity to be able to sit down for a casual lunch chit-chat with Will Simpson. The talented storyboard artist of HBO's epic-ly popular TV series "Game of Thrones" was an invited guest speaker for Screen Singapore 2014.

Will Simpson has worked on the elaborate fantasy series since the beginning. He is also internationally known as a comic artist who have worked on titles like "Batman", "Transformers" and "Judge Dredd". About more than 10 years ago, Will entered into the foray of storyboarding and concept art, with his work appearing in movies like "City of Ember" and "Reign of Fire".

With an easy smile and amiable personality that would put anyone at ease almost immediately, Will Simpson began the session by talking about other stuff that he had been doing recently. In his musical Irish accent, he revealed that in between shows, he has been working on a 6-part vampire story comic strip.